Notes for John Brenizer and Magdalena Mellinger

1780 John Brenizer [Brannizer] was taxed 8 pounds, in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania as a freeman, indicating he was unmarried. [1][2][3] John Branizer senior was taxed in the same township. [4]

c 1783 John Brenizer and Magdalena Mellinger were married about this time, based on the likely birthdate of their oldest son, George.

On the petition of John Breneisen who is intermarried with Magdalena one of the Daughters of Jacob Mellinger late of Cocalico Township yeoman deceased to this Court setting forth that the said Jacob Mellinger died intestate seized in fee of and in a certain Plantation and Tract of Land (Patented) situate in Cocalico Township aforesaid containing twenty five acres or thereabouts with the appurtenances adjoining Lands of George Mercle, John Mohler, Michael Kneisley and others and left his wife Susanna a widow and four children viz the said Magdalena the wife of the petitioner, Elizabeth Mellinger, Susanna Mellinger & Anna Mellinger, which said Elizabeth Susanna & Anna are yet minors. That the petitioner is willing and desirous to hold and enjoy the said plantation and tract of patented land with the appurtenances and pay the several and respective shares of the widow and other children of the said deceased according to a valuation and appraisement thereof to be made by an inquest to be awarded by the court for that purpose and praying the court to award an inquest to view & it is ordered by the court that the sheriff of Lancaster County do forthwith summon a jury to view the said plantation and tract of patented land ... whether the same may or can be divided to and amongst the widow & children of the said deceased without injury ... they then value and appraise the same ...

1785 On 6 December, the estate of Magdalena's grand-mother, Magdalena Mellinger, was distributed to her four grand-daughters, the daughters of Jacob Mellinger. [7]:

Michael Frantz and Peter Reyer executors of the last will and testament of Magdalena Mellinger late of Cocolico Township widow deceased produced to the Court the account of their administration on the estate of the said deceased duly passed before the register whereby there appears a balance ... of £52.11.2 ... be paid and distributed agreeable to the will of the testatrix ... To Susanna Mellinger, Anna Mellinger, Magdalena Mellinger, Elizabeth Mellinger [each received £14.9.9½ hard money and £5.6.3 paper money, after deducting expenses of the court]...

1785 On 6 December, Jacob Mellinger's land in Cocalico Twp, Lancaster County, was sold to John Brenneisen, husband of Magdalena Mellinger, eldest daughter of Jacob. [8]

1785 John Prenizer [sic, Brenizer] was taxed for 4 horses, and 2 cattle in East Pennsbro Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [9]

1786 John Brenizer, junior, was taxed in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [10]

1787 John Brenizer, junior, was taxed in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [11]

1787 Jacob Keller, of Cocalico Twp, guardian appointed by the Orphans' Court of Lancaster County for several minor heirs of Jacob Mellinger, deceased, received payment for real estate of the deceased from John Brenneisen of Allen Twp, Cumberland County, married to Magdalena, oldest daughter of Jacob Mellinger, deceased. [12]

1788 John Brenizer, junior, was taxed in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [13]

1789 John Branizer, junior, was taxed in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [14][15]

1790 John Brenizer [Branizer] lived in Eastern Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The household had 1 male over age 16, 2 males under age 16 and 1 female [16]. John Brenizer [likely John Brenizer, senior] also lived in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania [17].

1798 John Brenizer [Brinizer] was taxed for a two story sq log house, dimension 24 by 20 feet, with 6 windows and 57 lights, and a stable on 150 acres in Allen Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. John Philips owned the adjacent home, also a neighbor in the 1790-1810 census. [18][19]

1800 John Branizer [Brenizer] lived in East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with male age 26-45 (John), male 16-26 (son George), and 4 males 0-10 (sons Michael, David, Samuel, William), 2 females age 10-16 (?), and 1 female age 16-45 (wife Magdalena). [20] John Phillips was listed next, listed adjacent in the 1798 direct tax and the same residence where son George lived in 1810.

1806 John Brenizer died. The census and tax records, below, suggest that their oldest son George then lived in the house where John had lived in East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland County.

1806 Letters of administration for the estate of John Brenizer, late of East Pennsborough Twp, were issued, on September 25, to Andrew Emminger and Jacob Wise. Bail by George Forney and George Wise. [21]

1808 Heirs of John Brenizer were taxed for 150 acres of land in East Pennsbro Twp, Cumberland County. [22]

1808 George Brenizer was taxed for 1 horse and 2 cows, in East Pennsbro Twp, Cumberland County. [23]

1810 An announcement was posted of the administration account of John Brenizer, late of East Pennsborough Twp [Cumberland County], by administrators Andrew Eminger and Jacob Wise. [24][25]

1810 On 15 May, at the Orphans' Court of Cumberland County "Came into court Andrew Emsinger and Jacob Weise Administrators of all and singular the goods and chattels rights and credits which were of John Brenizer late of East Pennsborough township deceased and produced an account of their administration. The court having adjusted and passed the same find a balance of one hundred dollars and fifty nine cents in the hands of the administrators subject to distribution according to law." [26]

1810 On 18 September, at the Orphans' Court of Cumberland County, Andrew Emsinger and Jacob Weise reported that the personal estate of John Brenizer was insufficient to pay all of the debts. The administrators prayed the court to direct sale of 150 acres of land that John Brenizer owned in East Pennsborough adjoining land of the heirs of George Myers, John Phillips, Nicholas Pupp, and George Forney. John P Helfenstein and Jacob Hendel posted bond. [27]

1810 On 18 September, at the Orphans' Court of Cumberland County, Magdela [Magdalena] Brenizer widow and relict of John Brenizer late of East Pennsborough township deceased, said husband left issue six children, three of whom, to wit David, William, and Michael, are minors under age of fourteen years and have no guardian appointed, praying appointment of a suitable guardian. The court appointed John Sailor. Samuel Brenizer, minor over the age of fourteen prayed that John Sailor be appointed his guardian, so appointed. [28]

1810 On 2 November, a notice was posted for sale, to be held on November 7, of land from John Brenizer's estate in East Pennsborough. The land was bounded by lands of John Phillips, Nicholas Pup, George Forney, and the heirs of George Myers. Administrators Andrew Emminger and Jacob Wise. [29]

1810 George Braniser [Brenizer] age 16-26 lived in East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with 2 males age 10-15 (brothers David and William) and one age 0-10 (brother Michael), one female age 0-10 (newly born daughter?), 1 female age 26-45 (George's wife), and one female age 45+ (widow Magdalena). Several neighbors; John Sepas, Gross, Conrad Emminger, George Forney, and John Phillips; common to the 1800-1820 censuses suggest that George was living near the same house where father John lived in 1800. [30]

1811 On 19 February, at the Orphans' Court of Cumberland County, Andrew Emminger and Jacob Wise, administrators, presented results of the sale of land from the estate of John Brenizer. The 149 acres of land was in East Pennsboro, bounded by lands of the heirs of George Myers, John Philips, George Forney, and Nicholas Pupp, as shown on a map. The land was sold to George Brenizer of East Pennsboro, at $45 per acre, for $6710.62. [31]

1811 On 17 September, at the Orphans' Court of Cumberland County, Andrew Emminger and Jacob Wise produced an account for the estate with balance $5083.63. [32]

1811 An announcement of the estate accounts of John Brenizer, late of East Pennsborough township, administered by Andrew Eminger and Jacob Wise was published. [33]

1811 George Brenizer was taxed for 150 acres of land, 2 horses and 4 cows, in East Pennsbro Twp, Cumberland County. [34]

1814 George Brenizer was taxed for 175 acres of patented land, 2 horses and 3 cows, in East Pennsbro Twp, Cumberland County. [35]

1820 George Brenizer [Braniser] (age 26-45) lived in East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with 1 male age 26-45 (David), 2 males age 16-26 (Michael and William), four younger sons, three young daughters, and one female age 45+ (widow Magdalena) [36]. The household of Samuel Braniser age 16-26 was nearby. Aunt Sarah (Coover) Brenizer age 26-46 lived nearby, as did several Coover households.

1821 On 13 September, son William Brenizer married Susan Kreitzer. [37]

1822 Their son William died.

1824 Magdalena was the sponsor when grand-daughter Susana was born on 4 Nov to son Samuel and Elisabeth Brenizer, (witnessed by Maria Mag. Brenizer). Susana was baptized 24 April 1825. [38]

1825 Silver Spring Twp was formed from Pennsboro Twp. It is plausible that George did not move between the 1820 and 1830 censuses, despite the change in names of Townships.

1830 George Barizer [Brenizer] age 40-50 lived in Silver Spring Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with 2 males age 15-20, 3 younger females, 1 female age 40-50, and 1 female age 70-80 (widow Magdalena)[39]. Nearby was Susanna Phillips (likely widow of John), Henry and John Gross, Henry Coover, and Spidle, all likely neighbors from the 1820 census, suggesting this was the same household where George lived in 1820. John Beelman lived nearby, a likely relative (son) of John's sister Christina Brenizer Beelman. Samuel Brenizer (age 20-30) also lived in Silver Spring. David Brenizer (age 30-40) lived in East Pennsboro Twp with his family. Michael Brenizer had moved to South Middleton Twp in Cumberland County.

Research Notes:

We are researching the ancestry of Michael Brenizer, married to Mary Wise. The 1810 Cumberland County Orphans' Court records report that this John Brenizer had 6 children, including David, William, and Michael (whom we suspect to be the husband of Mary Wise), under age 14 in 1810; and Samuel over age at the time. We suspect that George was another son, as we show here. We suspect that Peter Brenizer was the sixth child, although we have not shown him as such in this database. Notes for Peter are shown in the Research Notes below.

We show that John Brenizer, who died in 1810 in Cumberland County, was the same as John Breneisen, who married Magdalena Mellinger, daughter of Jacob Mellinger, in Lancaster County. The crucial evidence documenting this identification is the 1787 Lancaster County deed naming John Breneisen of Allen Twp, Cumberland County as party to the Lancaster County Orphans Court proceedings for Jacob Mellinger.

1823 Peter Brenizer of Allen Twp bought the land from the estate of John's brother, Michael Brenizer (see the notes of Michael Brenizer).

1833 On 22 January, letters of administration were issued to Peter Brenizer on the estate of Susanna Brenizer (perhaps the wife of son William), late of Allen Twp, Cumberland County. Bail by Jacob Cocklin and George Brenizer. [40]

1836 On 10 May, Peter Eberly, administrator, presented the account of the estate of Peter Brenizer, late of Silver Spring, Cumberland County. [41]

1835 On 25 March, letters of administration were issued to Peter Eberly on the estate of Peter Brenizer, late of Eastpennborough Twp, Cumberland County. Bail by David Eberly and Daniel Markley. [42]

1780 John Brenizer [Brenisen] and Valentin Brenizen, relationship unknown, were Privates in the bounds of the 7th Company, 1st Battalion, York County, Pennsylvania on 14 October. [43]

Citation: Robert and Janet Chevalley Wolfe, Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy, "Notes for John Brenizer and Magdalena Mellinger"
Webpage: www.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m1087x1088.htm
Email address: JanetRobertWolfeGenealogy@gmail.com
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